Wire Rope Industries of Canada (1966) Ltd. and B.C. Marine Shipbuilders Ltd. and Straits Towing Ltd. and F.M. Yorke & Son Ltd. and Wire Rope Industries Canada (1966) Ltd. and B.C. Marine Shipbuilders Ltd. and Straits Towing Ltd. - Hartland, Ritchie, Dickson, Beets, Estoy, McIntyre and Chouinard, JJ. - Supreme Court of Canada - Mar. 19, 1981

Liability for loss of tug

In Feb. 1968 the tug, Lorne Yorke , towing the log barge, Westport Straits , got into difficulties in heavy weather on the west coast of Vancouver Island when the tow-line became snagged on the bottom. The master of the tug, in order to save the tug and barge from being driven ashore by the wind, applied full power to pull the tow-line free of the bottom. The tow-line broke at one of the sockets joining one part of the tow-line to another and the barge was lost. The owner and charterer of the barge sued the tug owner and won in the Trial Division of the Federal Court (Mr. Justice Gibsen).